Peter, Paul & Mary's Antiwar Songs

Peter, Paul & Mary’s Antiwar Songs

February 7, 2025

Writes Ginny Garner:

Lew,

The passing last month of songwriter, singer and musician Peter Yarrow, one-third of the musical trio Peter, Paul and Mary, inspired me to revisit their music. Yarrow was a lifelong peace activist, and the trio’s song catalog included many about peace, justice, freedom and love. The trio also included Mary Travis who passed away in 2009 and Paul Stookey who is still with us. Peter, Paul and Mary came into prominence in the 1960s and were very vocal in their opposition to the Vietnam War. The antiwar songs they recorded and performed included Blowin’ in the Wind, Leaving on a Jet Plane, Where Have All the Flowers Gone?, Day Is Done, The Cruel War, If I Had a Hammer, The Great Mandella, and Gone the Rainbow. Yarrow, who was Jewish, wrote 1982’s Light One Candle in opposition to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.

https://www.csmonitor.com/1983/0624/062458.html

Here are their performances of these antiwar songs with the songwriters noted:

1963 – Blowin’ in the Wind (Bob Dylan)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld6fAO4idaI

1969 – Leavin’ on a Jet Plane (John Denver)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVQAhhlq798

1962 – Where Have All the Flowers Gone? (Pete Seeger)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abx4TmV-SZM

1969 – Day is Done (Peter Yarrow)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UrunpqtcIE

1962 – The Cruel War (Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_T5ECd47_0